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Topic: Keep your dog out of the compost (Read 4183 times)

I have had a horrible week. On sunday my dog, Hazel, died from food poisoning after eating unfinished compost.

Please if you garden and love dogs, keep your dog away from the compost. Since then I've learned that more than a half dozen nasty clostridium bacteria can live in unaerated compost. I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

Pass this along to anyone you know who has a garden, a compost pile and a dog.

Kev, that is so sad, I feel for you, words cannot say enough. Who would have ever thought that a compost pile could have that much clostridium bacteria habouring within.

This unfortunate thing that has happened to you Kev, has really got me thinking. I am serious. We have 4 dogs (used to have 6, but old age set in) and I know they love to eat the compost now and then. They have not yet become sick from it, but now I am cautioned and I am listening, now reacting. You say unaerated compost, so now I have another job to do, oh brother.

Living on 5 acres and being a freak about tidiness around my place, I have the biggest compost pile you could ever imagine. Actually I have several in different places. I guess I need to get out my Mantis tomorrow and rototill these piles all up, that will aerate them completely and hopefully there will not be a chance for any demise such as what happened to you. Again, Kev, I feel your sorrow and you are in my thoughts. Still......have a wonderful day, great life, and keep your chin up. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

My compost piles are humongeous. I don`t think that I could possibly fence them, I must get at them and turn them over, and then I think that I will do what we are supposed to do when we compost, but I don`t get around to doing: putting some dirt on top and layering it. I can`t be bothered to layer the dirt, but I will areate and then pile on some dirt as soon as I can get around to it. Better sooner than later. Keep your chin up, have a wonderful day, still. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

kev, i feel for you. i lost a dog that way and the guilt was the worst of it. mine was poisoned by drinking water from an old chicken feeder that i didn't even know was in the back of the dog yard. the feeder had filled with leaves and junk. when the rain came it filled and the dog drank from it. she was poisoned over a period of time and i felt so bad that i didn't catch it in time to save her.

at least by sharing your story, you may have helped others of us from letting our dogs into trouble.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called “the government.” They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

Kathy, I am also sorry for your loss. These two stories of you and Kev has enlightened my life regarding the little things that we don't even think about that could cause harm to our animals. Whodda thunk, really.

I have an agenda, that is to make my property more safe for our pooches, we have 4 that run around here, and I can bet my bottom dollar have a few stagnant drinking spots around, along with those malicious underground bacterias in the unaerated compost piles.

Dogs love to eat horse poop (composted grass) and compost. I know that, I see my dogs eat the compost when I turn it over and they roll in it sometimes. I have not had sick dogs......yet....... I am surprised that I haven't though. I am not willing to take any chances with sick dogs, and to bear that burden of guilt that you speak about, Kathy, that would be one of the saddest things.

Many times in my life things have happened because of my failure to take care of things, not really bad, but enough bad, that I know that guilt feeling -- woulda, coulda, shoulda. Have a wonderful day. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

Kev, your post has haunted me and I think of it many times a day. I haven't the time to go out and work the compost piles deeply right now, but I will. But....at the same time, I wonder if it is what has gone into the compost pile that would create such deadly bacteria, or are these 6 (I think you said 6) bacteria each found in all composted products, or just specific compost products. I wonder how I could find out, I think that I need to get on some research here. Thinking, learning, thoughts. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, great health. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

There are several kinds of anaerobic bacteria that live on rotting vegetation probably lots more than 6, not to mention a variety of fungus etc. It's not that any particular one is bad. They decompose rotting stuff. I think they normally live in lot of places in the environment. I guess they have their role.

My suspicion is that my dog ate half-rotted squash. She got into kitchen compost scraps. No meat, but all sorts of veggies, peels, rinds, etc.

If you can veggies, you'll know of the fears of poorly canned greenbeans -- botulism lurks there. That's why you have to pressure can beans otherwise you may not kill the botulism before it can grow and kill you.

Kev, yes, I always pressure can any veggies that I preserve, that is where botulism spores live, in places without air. I would imagine, deep in a compost, there would be little or so little air that botulism spores would grow easily. Just never thought before about it. That is still good to remember. I am glad Kev, that you are feeling better, you will always miss your little pal. Have a wonderful day, and this beautiful life. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service